Counting The Moments
by Applecake
Summary: How many times can you watch your chances fly by, and still have the courage to continue counting? Minto’s answer to this question: Infinite [Minto x Kish] [One Shot] [Slight AU] [Warning: A smarter Kisshu]


Counting The Moments

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew**

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_Don't touch the enduring moments _

_Until you've found the right one _

_-Applecake_

"How are you?"

She shifted in her seat.

"I'm fine."

It was an indolent afternoon. The sun shone rays that bled all over. An image of a pair discussing in a vacant park; one sitting on a wooden bench, and one standing in her shadow luckily added life to the dull, arid, forgotten scenery. The seated one was a woman not much older than the age of thirteen. Her shiny blue hair sparkled in the summer breeze; tied up in a duet of neat circular buns. A pale white was her velvety skin, and her chestnut eyes appeared to shimmer amongst the dim light. Her outfit consisted one of a burgundy skirt, florid blouse, and two brown shoes accompanied by matching lace socks. She was resting with her legs slanted to her left, two hands poised lightly on her knees.

Not decently apart from her stood a young man, with tresses the color of rain covered leaves and elongated pointed ears. He wore clothing of a strange nature, a style incomparable to the likes of Earth. His expression labeled irate, with a dose of disappointment. He talked with one palm pressed to his hips, one hand formed in a fist.

"I just don't understand what's so special about that darn Aoyama!" he wailed. "What does he have I can't resemble? Is it looks? I've got tons of that! And power? I can knock him down blindfolded!"

Minto unbound a sigh. She lifted her eyes up at him. On today's daily visit to the park, she had spotted Kish floating downside-up beside her favorite wooden bench. He was looking utterly torn and the regular joyous traits had been eliminated from his body. Instantaneously, she knew he arrived to consult with her. It'd been like that for a while now. Whenever Kish developed difficulties, he would roll up to her special location to seek for advice. It wasn't a tangled web situation. The complexities weren't faithfully complex. She didn't mind so much. Most of his concerns dealt with Ichigo Momomiya, thus, this had been entirely predictable. Almost every week was a complaint regarding failure at capturing the mew leader's attention.

She often acted as his comforting device.

"Kisshu, you got chucked again?" she assumed calculatingly. The jade haired alien moaned, whilst coursing an energized hand vehemently through his disheveled and unruly locks.

"I can't comprehend why! Doesn't she know by now how much I care?" he questioned piercingly, causing Minto to avert her gaze. "Are my loving signals not enough?"

"I'm sure she knows," she answered quietly. "She has to sort her emotions out and . . . well . . . I guess she's picking the most suitable man."

He laughed sorely. "It's not fair. It's just not fair." The extraterrestrial being looked shattered; nigh unto death. The usual smirk on his overjoyed expression could not cease. He positioned now, feet rooted to the ground, a cloud of melancholia hung low affront his face.

"I almost got KILLED that time with the blue knight! Yet all she did was scampered to that loser and prayed him not to die!"

"I distinguished, she's hardly creditable when it comes to realizing true value," Minto murmured, a sorrowful glint in her orbs.

"It's not fair!"

"Please, Kisshu-kun, try not to be so pessimistic . . ." she pleaded. Sympathy arose from her chest. "I'm positive she'll go after you one day with a second opinion."

"Why would she? The way I see events, even if I die for her one day she won't be satisfied," he bleated.

"What happened?"

Kish clicked his teeth. "She kicked me--in the face."

Minto stared, her facade agog.

". . . Say it isn't true. . ." she responded, noticeably astonished.

The boy twitched uncomfortably at this. "For god's sake, Minty!" he exclaimed. "Anyone human would have known she'd do something this cruel to me." He held out both hands in disbelief. "You didn't know?"

"Well, if you insist," she searched the ground below her. "I suppose it wasn't at all surprising. Not for Ichigo anyway. However, I have to admit, if she had slapped you, I could have found a better way to respond to the news."

Kish squinted. "You're saying you wanted her to slap me?"

"No, but in a way, it wouldn't do much harm. I could circumvent stuttering as an option for my answer to your ranting."

He carped, shaking his head in aggravation. The ribbons from his pants bounced. His ears changed color due to the anger exposure. The lack of control immediately decelerated the blood circulation in his body

"She told me she loved him!" he blubbered to the flabbergasted bird girl. "She said things will stay that way no matter what I do! She hates me!"

Minto traced these words. The situation was understandable. But she refused to let it get the best of her.

"You're not making any sense. Ichigo's not that kind of person once you get through to her. She just has Masaya-kun on her routine right now and can't handle too much stress."

"What you said. You've just proven my point. A fixated girl like her would NEVER give a guy like me a second glance! I've tried everything! Well . . . actually, I haven't tested kidnapping yet but STILL, as long as that stupid boyfriend of hers remains, I WILL NEVER GRAB HER ATTENTION!"

"You really shouldn't operate all your strategies at once," the animal infused girl pointed out. "Trust me; it's absolutely no way to win someone, especially those who already have a being on the line."

"Then what do you suppose I do? I'm never going to seize her awareness if that lad is alive! I really should get rid of him!"

"Murder?" she said suspiciously. "Murder will basically make her dislike you further."

"She already hates me! She said so herself!"

"That doesn't mean she has entirely given up on you."

"It DOES, if you were in my place, you'll consider it just like me!" The broken alien insisted.

"Just wait," she applied. "Calm down. Keep waiting and be patient. You'll see."

---

He sighed.

Devastated, he wilted down next to her, face doused with regret. "I just hate women," he grumbled. "They have a bad tendency to rip you apart and walk off, head held high, not giving a care about how much hurt they've hurled out."

"All women, meaning me?" Minto asked, an unseen pout lighting up her face.

Kish narrowed his eyes. "You are so not funny," he declared.

"Was that a yes or a no?" she persisted. She was desperate to lift his mood.

"We were talking about Ichigo-chan," Kish pointed out. "Since when did that topic switched to you?" He spread his legs wider upon the bench as to increase relaxation.

Their hips touched at this as did their thighs. Minto felt her heart leapt slightly and she looked down, tongue-tied. Albeit they were moderately blunt friends, Minto still got problems resisting her cherry blushes during physical affairs. She disliked this weakness greatly. If anything, she'd yearn to be free of it.

"Since now," she responded proudly. "Your aims are always focused on Ichigo-san. It's better to converse on a new subject just the once. So let's turn the mirror around."

"Turning the mirror around, eh?" he chuckled half-heartedly on her phrase. "Not bad, however, I still see the fizzy image of Ichigo-chan rather than you."

She slumped furthermore down her seat. "You're no fun."

"Minty-chan, you're always like that. Whenever I come here for some 'blowing off steam', you go dragging a joke into the zone. Then, yadee, yadee, yadee, we'd conversed afloat ridiculous, random subjects and before I can say 'cheese', the sorrow I carried is taken away like magical dust," Kish acknowledged. His features took swift turns as he said this, illustrating his point.

Minto mentally praised herself for the witty outturn. No matter what the conditions were, it was an absolute "must" for her to keep Kish at his regular personality temperature. Nevertheless, she'd feel forever overanxious if he went on a mirage. The last thing she wanted on the list was a mad alien on the loose. Plus, it was no laughing matter. Kisshu seriously needed help restraining his abnormality when it came to Ichigo. He needed assistance cooling down when events didn't spin out like he planned. Numerous times, Minto nearly failed to prevent him from his fired rampage.

She shuddered, shaking the thoughts out of her mind and pulling her attention back to the dialogues.

"So . . . that's a negative?" she questioned, in extension to his previous speech.

-Silence-

"No."

They gaped at the small garden set in full view.

Soundlessly, they observed the moving insects, as well as weeds covering the bottom. Parks were more beautiful now a days. Reconstructing often lead to success. With the budgets having rose, there now left more cash to spare on regular basics; for regular people to enjoy. Minto loved the place. Her favorite thing to do was just sit, listening to the blithe tunes of birds singing. Otherwise, she'd prefer chatting with Kisshu. It put her at ease. She'd always saw him other than a plain friend.

"Love is consuming," the otherworldly of the pair muttered abruptly, causing her to blink. "I can't believe her."

". . . I figured as much."

He stared, irises focused at a ninety degree angle. The couple marveled at the harmonic sounds of nature once more.

"You know, Minty-chan, I've felt a lot better these days amid the extending lists of comforting advice," he commented after a few minutes, linking fingers behind his head. He serenely breathed, attempting to cleanse unwanted thoughts. "I don't know exactly why, but I feel very comfortable talking with you about private dilemmas."

She turned to look at his grave expression.

He paused, striking his sight at a passing blue jay stalking for thrown food crumbs by the trash can.

"You make my troubles wash away like bobbling waves abandoning shore."

"Since when did you get so poetic?" the bird girl mocked.

"But you work like a charm, have you ever acknowledged that?" Kish asked, ignoring her cocky side remark.

"Afraid not," Minto affirmed. "For fact I've never thought about circumstances arranged like that before. I merely give people my regards and whether they like it or not, I don't get offended. You may call it a hobby."

Kish scrunched his forehead. "Whatever, Minty-chan, you never do cared much about yourself, do you? Well, just so you ought to know, I treasured these moments."

The words slid like glistening thread on her fingertips. Instantly, she detected herself slowly being embraced by her inner satisfaction. Without prior notice the hypersensitive portion of her body emanated. This had never been said before. He normally uttered 'thanks' or you're a good helper's. But he'd never once said he treasured her advice. She bought both hands to her lips, interrupting a sun-drenched smile.

"Minto-chan, you're a great counselor," the emerald haired alien announced, licking off his final part of speech. "And of course, my dearest friend."

"Am I?" she responded solemnly.

He squinted at her, half-agape. "Why, certainly . . . what else would you be, an assassin?

She curved away in embarrassment, flames threatening to burn from beneath her pale cheekbones. This joke came up predominantly, due to the fighting over planet Earth. "Are you up to your old tricks again? What are you trying to prove?"

He sighed, toppling his arms back down on the wood. "Nothing I guess."

Surprisingly, Minto felt her pleasure level diminish. She looked at her amber eyed companion, spheres drenched with another wave of depression.

"Really?" she murmured. Kish nodded without lifting his neck.

-Silence-

-Another ten minutes of silence-

-

-

-

He got up.

The blue haired girl watched confusedly in reaction to his rushed advance, one finger placed on her left cheek. He rotated his head to her direction, eyebrows knitted tightly together.

She was puzzled at first, but it struck her quickly: He came across realization.

The moment he backed from her figure, all her former vivaciousness evaporated. She foretold the fact he was ready to head off-just like always after the suggestions were given.

"Mint-chan, you're right," he said, voice a tad less disheartened. "Maybe it was just skepticism."

He pulled his elbows back, signaling motivation. Apparently, Minto's words from earlier finally knocked into sense. It wasn't too abrupt considering her slow-minded enemy.

"I think I understand now what you said a while ago," he said slowly. "I'll count forever if I have to, but I won't surrender until she confirms her true feelings for me. I won't rest until she opens up on my lane."

She tilted her eyebrows. "On Ichigo-san, is it?"

"Thank-you so much, Minty-chan, you really mean a lot to me. I don't know why I always feel a lot better about myself after talking with you," he avowed truthfully, stretching.

Minto parted her lips. Her tongue felt wet and a tingle of exasperation vibrated through her blood. At the second, her throat prepared a different turn of sentence. And she shook her head, replacing with a nod of settlement. She allowed her mouth to curl.

"Sure, anytime."

He showed some minor uncertainty . . . but eventually restored his determination. "Thank-you."

She watched as he teleported off, leaving only a reminder of his attendance a sprinkle of sparkling sand.

Minto gawked, dazed.

She heaved a sigh. Yeah . . .

_"Good luck . . . And guess I'll count too, Kisshu-kun, and I'll continue waiting . . . even if you don't share the same interest as I do. I will still count . . . for you._

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**Apple: YAY! **I finished this one-shot at two after midnight. -Offers apple cookies as apology for the poor writing- Turning on the computer at ten and typing until two has bad affects. But I needed a break from writing TxP. ' . ' I don't think I changed the ages . . . they're both 13 . . . (And I hope to be soon!) 

This idea wandered up while I was carrying heavy groceries home one day and (not after a can of tomato sauce dropped on my left foot) it sank mysteriously into my head. **Thank-you for reading! **


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